Gemma's Sunbed Scare

Gemma Merna in front of the special cameraHollyoaks actress Gemma Merna is a self-confessed tan fan.

So she's bravely gone in front of a special camera to reveal damage caused by the sun on her face.

Glamorous Gemma stripped off all her make-up for the revealing snaps.

The camera shows unseen damage to the skin caused by overexposure to UV rays from sunbeds and the sun.

Gemma has naturally pale skin and has been using sunbeds once or twice a week since she was 15.

She admits she used to burn regularly and eventually switched to using fake tan to get her year-round glow.

Gemma says: "When I was younger, I didn't realise the damage I was doing to my skin by using sunbeds.Gemma Merna as she is normally

"I just wanted to look tanned and to fit in with everyone and didn't give any thought to the risks I was taking or the fact that it would actually make my skin look worse as I got older.

"When I realised how dangerous sunbeds were, I stopped using them and started using fake tan instead.

"Looking at these photos, I can see there are already signs of sun damage and I'm only 25. It's quite shocking.

"You only get one skin so you really need to look after it. These pictures have convinced me for sure that I'll never use a sunbed again."

Skin specialist Jane Lewis says: "The pictures of Gemma show that she has signs of sun damage.

"This is particularly evident in the number of freckles she has on her forehead and across her cheeks, which are not apparent to the naked eye."

Katy Scammell, SunSmart campaign manager at Cancer Research UK, adds: "By showing these shocking pictures, we're hoping that people will see that by using sunbeds they really are storing up problems for the future.

"Not only do sunbeds increase the risk of developing melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, but they also cause irreversible damage to your skin, making it leathery, wrinkly and old before its time."

Melanoma is now the most common form of cancer for women in their twenties, with almost one woman aged 20 to 29 diagnosed each day.

We believe fake tan is always the best option - but not every star gets it right.

Take a look at our gallery of TANGO TANS here.